Name: Aimee Vasser Age: 18 Gender: Female Occupation: Servant in Versailles Social Class: 3rd Estate Financial situation: I get paid properly for being the steward's assistant but my family still far from rich because of all the taxes. Appearance: I have brown curly hair, inherited from my mother, and dull brown eyes. My skin is pale since I am inside, helping the head cook prepare meals for the royal family. Daily routine: I wake up early in the morning, wash, get dressed, have breakfast (which usually consists of a small portion of bread and possibly a little coffee), and start preparing breakfast for the royal family. Later in the day, soon after her breakfast is finished, I must start working on dinner, which consists of three soups and three courses of four entrees of meat, two roasts, and one side dish. Then there is, of course, dessert. After, there is supper, which is also three soups and three courses, consisting of two roasts and four or five side dishes. Dessert is also served with supper. After all meals are eaten, I am allowed to retire to my small room for a few hours of sleep. Personality/Quirks/Unique Personality Traits: I try not to complain about anything, especially since working with the royal family is such an honor. Working in Versailles is much fun, despite the long hours and I love my family dearly, so I try everything I can to secure them as happily a life as possible. Past/individual-family history: I learned to cook when I was 6 from my mother who made wonderful meals from the meager supplies that my father could afford. When I was older, I would help make dinner with my mother for our family. Since Father was making more money as a business man, we had more food to put on the table for my two brothers. Family: My mother and father live in a small house. My father is a business man but the taxes imposed on the 3rd Estate make it hard to support him, my mother, and my two younger brothers. My younger sister died of starvation when I was 5 because my family did not have enough money for food at the time. Now, I try to help my father support our family with my small wages from being steward's assistant. However, working the the palace leaves me barely any time to see my family. Social relations with your own and other classes(people you deal with or know about in other classes, AND your opinions and feelings about them): I have no problem with the royal family but I wish the taxes imposed on everyone in the 3rd Estate would be lifted or at least decreased. It is unfair that the clergy men with the Church have all the power to give taxes on poorer citizens of France. Religion: Christian Education: I can speak very well in French. However, since I have no education, I cannot write. On the other hand, I learned to read culinary words so I could understand recipes. Style of speaking in France: I speak French fluently. Languages you speak: The only language I speak is French. Main privileges and/or conflicts: Occasionally I get into a little argument with the steward about how to prepare a certain meal but on the whole, the only problems I have are with the taxation.
Portrait: Diary Entry One: Before the Storm November 12, 1788
Yesterday started out as such a dull day. I woke up early as usual and prepared myself for a long day of cooking. After I gulped down my small cup of coffee, I rushed from the room, taking with me a small piece of bread to munch on, and ran to the kitchen, waiting my directions from the steward. What a tedious man he was. He was constantly telling me how to prepare meals that I knew like the back of my hand. There was nothing wrong with the way I made pate de foie gras. I mean, whenever I disobeyed him and followed my own recipe behind his back, the royal family always praised the dish. Unfortunately, whenever this happens, he comes and lectures me of the importance of following directions. Of course, I couldn't tell him that I created my own dish and sent it out to them or he'd kick me out. Besides, I get my satisfaction from knowing the royal family appreciates my efforts. Anyway, I stood in the kitchen, chewing on my breakfast, waiting for the fat bum to appear. Finally, the fat bum walked through the kitchen doors with the head chef by his side. It was a wonder they both fit through the door at the same time since they were both quite wide. They were chatting in hushed voices, glaring at everyone who seemed to be listening to them. One of the waitresses, having snuck up behind them, eavesdropped on their conversation. Twenty minutes later, the two blubbery men parted ways and started shouting directions to their staff. Juliet, the eavesdropping waitress, came up to me while I was preparing Marie Antoinette's breakfast, which consisted of coffee and bread. Of course, her breakfast was much more satisfying than my small morsel of bread and quick sip of coffee. Juliet whispered in my ear, telling me all of the details of the chef and steward's chat. According to her, they had been gossiping about the incompetence of King Louis XVI. Of course, they would never had said it to anyone else since it was likely that they would be fired, or worse, executed for speaking such words about the King. Well, I suppose the steward was in a foul mood this morning for he stomped over with his fat feet and shouted at us to stop gossiping. I recall his exact words being “Why must women always gossip? If I find you two gossiping like gossipy little girls again, I will dock your pay for this week!” Not wanting to lose money for our families, Juliet ran off and I returned to preparing breakfast. I wouldn’t risk my wages for a bit of gossip about the royal family.
After preparing breakfast, I had a small amount of free time. Of course, having nothing to do in the palace, I stayed in the kitchen, chatting with some of the other helpers. The main topic on everyone's mind seemed to be why King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were using so much money. Why, just within the two years that I'd worked at the palace, the taxes seemed to have increased. They may not have increased drastically but the impact it had on my neighbors was horrible. My mother and father had farmer friends could barely survive off the daily wages because of all the taxation. However, I could not stay long to criticize the royal family since my plump boss and his chef friend called all the helpers back to their work. For the rest of the day, I worked hard to make the meals for the royal family, hoping that the steward would not scold me again for slacking. By the end of the day, I was exhausted. I cleaned up my workstation and went to my room. After undressing, I jumped in bed and was soon slumbering nicely.
Diary Entry Two: From Crisis To Revolution
December 03, 1789
These past few years have been hectic to say the least. I haven't had a chance to write any diary entries lately because of the chaos that have taken over France. The older of my two younger brothers joined my father in storming the Bastille. I didn't oppose them doing so but I wished they had not risked being a part of the attack. It was especially hard for my mother. She had written to me, complaining of my father's involvement in the rebellion. She was worried for his health since he was getting weak. I wrote her back, telling her not to worry for I knew my brother would never let my father overwork. It was hard for me as well. Having heard of my family's involvement in the Storming of the Bastille, the fat bum I am forced to call my boss threatened to dock my week's pay. I suppose he really loved the king. I had to work extra hard to prove to him that I deserved the money. In the end, he gave me most of it, only taking a livre away when I whispered "fat bum" behind his back and he heard me.
The rebellion was becoming so overwhelming that I began to fear for my life. Rumors were that peasants were attack the palace, regardless of the people inside. I hoped dearly that my family had no involvement in this part of the rebellion. When the head chef fled with his fat steward friend, I panicked. This meant that I would be preparing the main dish and various appetizers by myself. It was almost like preparing an entire meal by myself, which, the fat bum had never let me do. It was nerve wrecking. I talked toJerome Gomet, one of the boys who helped with cooking, about it, occasionally bossing him and others around me. I couldn't believe the dumb steward left me to do his dirty work without even leaving me any notice. While we worked, I chatted with Jerome about everything I had heard from my mother. So many things were happening outside the palace; everything was a mess. I couldn't concentrate on preparing a proper meal for the royal family but after awhile I stopped worrying. They never seemed to notice what was placed in front of them anyways. It was almost as if everyone within the palace had become zombies. I suppose everything happening outside the palace really seemed to affect the royal family. I told Jerome about the Estate Generals and the forming of the National Assembly and the Storming of the Bastille and everything else my mother had time to inform me of. A few days later, Marie Antoinette's lady in waiting, Camille Lamballe, told me to run away with her, and fearing my life in the palace, I obliged. I quickly wrote my mother a note, packed the few things I had in my room, and ran off with Camille. Of course, this only lasted awhile. The king and queen had run away a day after us and were caught soon after. When they returned, I returned to the palace as well. Camille, on the other hand, fled to Austria with her friend Elizabeth. Oh well, I had begun to feel guilty anyways. Well, I must go prepare dinner for King Louis and Marie Antoinette. I hope this rebellion ends soon.
Diary Entry Three: The Reign of Terror
October 26, 1793
Terror is spreading throughout France. It is no longer safe anywhere. Ever since King Louis was dethroned and beheaded, what was originally an organized France has now become chaotic. It wasn't a pretty sight, seeing the king and queen beheaded on the guillotine. Ever since King Louis was beheaded, things have gone downhill. The sans culottes have been ruthless. They carry weapons around all day, murdering anyone who they believed were enemies of liberty. Thankfully they haven't come after me because my father knows a few of the sans culottes, although it may not stop them from hurting me for long; it might just delay them from coming after me. I really hope I don't die now. I hope they do not know of my support to the late king and the idea of monarchy or nothing my father says will be able to keep them from killing me.
War is spreading throughout France as well. Other European countries are attacking us. They believe we should return to monarchy, like them, and I completely agree with them. This chaos is too much to bear. There is food shortage and prices for food is rising. During this food shortage, my family's neighbor even had to come over and ask for some food. According to my mother, he had been having a hard time living in the chaos caused by the revolution. My father has already been accused of opposing the new government because of this new Law of Suspects created by the Committee of Public Safety. This so called Committee of Public Safety was never really that safe. It was much safer with King Louis around and Jacques had always supported the monarchy and the king. Anyways, I'm so glad my father wasn't killed. All he did was defend a friend. My family's neighbor, Jacques Petain, had been accused. Jacques has always lived across from my family and he has never done anything bad. Of course, his brother had been killed for trying to burn the papers so he could stop paying feudal taxes. My father has been friends with Jacques for a long time and has never thought he was affiliated with his brother at all. Someone stormed his house and found Jacques diary; that is how they knew he wanted a monarch back, that is why he was accused. He was thrown into prison but they put his diary with him. Fortunately, he got rid of the evidence in prison before they could properly convict him. Thank goodness Jacques wasn't executed. My father is such a good friend of his. They had also stormed my family's house when they broke into Jacques', accusing my father because he defended his good friend. However, they eventually let both my father go since they had no evidence, not that having no proof had ever stopped the Committee from killing before. The Committee has been killing people daily. The guillotine has been used more times in this period of terror than I could have ever imagined. Even when King Louis had been using sealed letters and had given permission to his royal officers, the number of people executed had not risen to this level. I do hope this ends soon. Otherwise, we may live in a country where no one is free from accusation, especially no one who is opposing this new libery, especially someone who wants a monarch back, especially someone like me. Well, I must go now. I have to find somewhere to hide this diary or someone just might find it, just like they did with Jacques. Hopefully, I will live to be able to write again.
Profile
Name: Aimee VasserAge: 18
Gender: Female
Occupation: Servant in Versailles
Social Class: 3rd Estate
Financial situation: I get paid properly for being the steward's assistant but my family still far from rich because of all the taxes.
Appearance: I have brown curly hair, inherited from my mother, and dull brown eyes. My skin is pale since I am inside, helping the head cook prepare meals for the royal family.
Daily routine: I wake up early in the morning, wash, get dressed, have breakfast (which usually consists of a small portion of bread and possibly a little coffee), and start preparing breakfast for the royal family. Later in the day, soon after her breakfast is finished, I must start working on dinner, which consists of three soups and three courses of four entrees of meat, two roasts, and one side dish. Then there is, of course, dessert. After, there is supper, which is also three soups and three courses, consisting of two roasts and four or five side dishes. Dessert is also served with supper. After all meals are eaten, I am allowed to retire to my small room for a few hours of sleep.
Personality/Quirks/Unique Personality Traits: I try not to complain about anything, especially since working with the royal family is such an honor. Working in Versailles is much fun, despite the long hours and I love my family dearly, so I try everything I can to secure them as happily a life as possible.
Past/individual-family history: I learned to cook when I was 6 from my mother who made wonderful meals from the meager supplies that my father could afford. When I was older, I would help make dinner with my mother for our family. Since Father was making more money as a business man, we had more food to put on the table for my two brothers.
Family: My mother and father live in a small house. My father is a business man but the taxes imposed on the 3rd Estate make it hard to support him, my mother, and my two younger brothers. My younger sister died of starvation when I was 5 because my family did not have enough money for food at the time. Now, I try to help my father support our family with my small wages from being steward's assistant. However, working the the palace leaves me barely any time to see my family.
Social relations with your own and other classes (people you deal with or know about in other classes, AND your opinions and feelings about them): I have no problem with the royal family but I wish the taxes imposed on everyone in the 3rd Estate would be lifted or at least decreased. It is unfair that the clergy men with the Church have all the power to give taxes on poorer citizens of France.
Religion: Christian
Education: I can speak very well in French. However, since I have no education, I cannot write. On the other hand, I learned to read culinary words so I could understand recipes.
Style of speaking in France: I speak French fluently.
Languages you speak: The only language I speak is French.
Main privileges and/or conflicts: Occasionally I get into a little argument with the steward about how to prepare a certain meal but on the whole, the only problems I have are with the taxation.
Portrait:
Diary Entry One: Before the Storm November 12, 1788
Yesterday started out as such a dull day. I woke up early as usual and prepared myself for a long day of cooking. After I gulped down my small cup of coffee, I rushed from the room, taking with me a small piece of bread to munch on, and ran to the kitchen, waiting my directi ons from the steward. What a tedious man he was. He was constantly telling me how to prepare meals that I knew like the back of my hand. There was nothing wrong with the way I made pate de foie gras. I mean, whenever I disobeyed him and followed my own recipe behind his back, the royal family always praised the dish. Unfortunately, whenever this happens, he comes and lectures me of the importance of following directions. Of course, I couldn't tell him that I created my own dish and sent it out to them or he'd kick me out. Besides, I get my satisfaction from knowing the royal family appreciates my efforts. Anyway, I stood in the kitchen, chewing on my breakfast, waiting for the fat bum to appear. Finally, the fat bum walked through the kitchen doors with the head chef by his side. It was a wonder they both fit through the door at the same time since they were both quite wide. They were chatting in hushed voices, glaring at everyone who seemed to be listening to them. One of the waitresses, having snuck up behind them, eavesdropped on their conversation. Twenty minutes later, the two blubbery men parted ways and started shouting directions to their staff. Juliet, the eavesdropping waitress, came up to me while I was preparing Marie Antoinette's breakfast, which consisted of coffee and bread. Of course, her breakfast was much more satisfying than my small morsel of bread and quick sip of coffee. Juliet whispered in my ear, telling me all of the details of the chef and steward's chat. According to her, they had been gossiping about the incompetence of King Louis XVI. Of course, they would never had said it to anyone else since it was likely that they would be fired, or worse, executed for speaking such words about the King. Well, I suppose the steward was in a foul mood this morning for he stomped over with his fat feet and shouted at us to stop gossiping. I recall his exact words being “Why must women always gossip? If I find you two gossiping like gossipy little girls again, I will dock your pay for this week!” Not wanting to lose money for our families, Juliet ran off and I returned to preparing breakfast. I wouldn’t risk my wages for a bit of gossip about the royal family.
After preparing breakfast, I had a small amount of free time. Of course, having nothing to do in the palace, I stayed in the kitchen, chatting with some of the other helpers. The main topic on everyone's mind seemed to be why King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were using so much money. Why, just within the two years that I'd worked at the palace, the taxes seemed to have increased. They may not have increased drastically but the impact it had on my neighbors was horrible. My mother and father had farmer friends could barely survive off the daily wages because of all the taxation. However, I could not stay long to criticize the royal family since my plump boss and his chef friend called all the helpers back to their work. For the rest of the day, I worked hard to make the meals for the royal family, hoping that the steward would not scold me again for slacking. By the end of the day, I was exhausted. I cleaned up my workstation and went to my room. After undressing, I jumped in bed and was soon slumbering nicely.
Diary Entry Two: From Crisis To Revolution
December 03, 1789These past few years have been hectic to say the least. I haven't had a chance to write any diary entries lately because of the chaos that have taken over France. The older of my two younger brothers joined my father in storming the Bastille. I didn't oppose them doing so but I wished they had not risked being a part of the attack. It was especially hard for my mother. She had written to me, complaining of my father's involvement in the rebellion. She was worried for his health since he was getting weak. I wrote her back, telling her not to worry for I knew my brother would never let my father overwork. It was hard for me as well. Having heard of my family's involvement in the Storming of the Bastille, the fat bum I am forced to call my boss threatened to dock my week's pay. I suppose he really loved the king. I had to work extra hard to prove to him that I deserved the money. In the end, he gave me most of it, only taking a livre away when I whispered "fat bum" behind his back and he heard me.
The rebellion was becoming so overwhelming that I began to fear for my life. Rumors were that peasants were attack the palace, regardless of the people inside. I hoped dearly that my family had no involvement in this part of the rebellion. When the head chef fled with his fat steward friend, I panicked. This meant that I would be preparing the main dish and various appetizers by myself. It was almost like preparing an entire meal by myself, which, the fat bum had never let me do. It was nerve wrecking. I talked to Jerome Gomet, one of the boys who helped with cooking, about it, occasionally bossing him and others around me. I couldn't believe the dumb steward left me to do his dirty work without even leaving me any notice. While we worked, I chatted with Jerome about everything I had heard from my mother. So many things were happening outside the palace; everything was a mess. I couldn't concentrate on preparing a proper meal for the royal family but after awhile I stopped worrying. They never seemed to notice what was placed in front of them anyways. It was almost as if everyone within the palace had become zombies. I suppose everything happening outside the palace really seemed to affect the royal family. I told Jerome about the Estate Generals and the forming of the National Assembly and the Storming of the Bastille and everything else my mother had time to inform me of. A few days later, Marie Antoinette's lady in waiting, Camille Lamballe, told me to run away with her, and fearing my life in the palace, I obliged. I quickly wrote my mother a note, packed the few things I had in my room, and ran off with Camille. Of course, this only lasted awhile. The king and queen had run away a day after us and were caught soon after. When they returned, I returned to the palace as well. Camille, on the other hand, fled to Austria with her friend Elizabeth. Oh well, I had begun to feel guilty anyways. Well, I must go prepare dinner for King Louis and Marie Antoinette. I hope this rebellion ends soon.
Diary Entry Three: The Reign of Terror
October 26, 1793Terror is spreading throughout France. It is no longer safe anywhere. Ever since King Louis was dethroned and beheaded, what was originally an organized France has now become chaotic. It wasn't a pretty sight, seeing the king and queen beheaded on the guillotine. Ever since King Louis was beheaded, things have gone downhill. The sans culottes have been ruthless. They carry weapons around all day, murdering anyone who they believed were enemies of liberty. Thankfully they haven't come after me because my father knows a few of the sans culottes, although it may not stop them from hurting me for long; it might just delay them from coming after me. I really hope I don't die now. I hope they do not know of my support to the late king and the idea of monarchy or nothing my father says will be able to keep them from killing me.
War is spreading throughout France as well. Other European countries are attacking us. They believe we should return to monarchy, like them, and I completely agree with them. This chaos is too much to bear. There is food shortage and prices for food is rising. During this food shortage, my family's neighbor even had to come over and ask for some food. According to my mother, he had been having a hard time living in the chaos caused by the revolution. My father has already been accused of opposing the new government because of this new Law of Suspects created by the Committee of Public Safety. This so called Committee of Public Safety was never really that safe. It was much safer with King Louis around and Jacques had always supported the monarchy and the king. Anyways, I'm so glad my father wasn't killed. All he did was defend a friend. My family's neighbor, Jacques Petain, had been accused. Jacques has always lived across from my family and he has never done anything bad. Of course, his brother had been killed for trying to burn the papers so he could stop paying feudal taxes. My father has been friends with Jacques for a long time and has never thought he was affiliated with his brother at all. Someone stormed his house and found Jacques diary; that is how they knew he wanted a monarch back, that is why he was accused. He was thrown into prison but they put his diary with him. Fortunately, he got rid of the evidence in prison before they could properly convict him. Thank goodness Jacques wasn't executed. My father is such a good friend of his. They had also stormed my family's house when they broke into Jacques', accusing my father because he defended his good friend. However, they eventually let both my father go since they had no evidence, not that having no proof had ever stopped the Committee from killing before. The Committee has been killing people daily. The guillotine has been used more times in this period of terror than I could have ever imagined. Even when King Louis had been using sealed letters and had given permission to his royal officers, the number of people executed had not risen to this level. I do hope this ends soon. Otherwise, we may live in a country where no one is free from accusation, especially no one who is opposing this new libery, especially someone who wants a monarch back, especially someone like me. Well, I must go now. I have to find somewhere to hide this diary or someone just might find it, just like they did with Jacques. Hopefully, I will live to be able to write again.